The Ministry of Health on Wednesday gave conditional approval for India’s Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in Vietnam.
Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech International Limited is said to be 78% effective against COVID-19 of any severity, two weeks or more after the second dose, according to the World Health Organization.
Each dose of 0.5mg of intramuscular injection solution contained 6mcg of whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 antigen (strain NIV-2020-770) and other inactive ingredients.
The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) recommended use of the vaccine in two doses, with a dose interval of four weeks, in all age groups 18 and above.
Covaxin is the ninth COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized for use in Vietnam to combat the pandemic. The other eight approved vaccines are AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Moderna, Pfizer, Vero Cell, Hayat-Vax, and Abdala.
Vietnam has so far received about 125 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from different sources. More than 94 million doses have been administered, with over 30 million people age 18 and above receiving their second shot.
Source: VOV5